Ciceron Blog Archives

Lipstick on that Pig?

As a friend mused to me the other day, "we're gonna put a little lipstick on that pig," referring to their existing web site. Doing so would at least be far easier and cheaper than most mission critical web initiatives, like figuring out how to consolidate scattered customer data and extend it to the web.

I understand and respect the dilemma: most organizations just don't have the budgets they once had to take on the more robust web initiatives. So if you are like many others having to make do with a site redesign, then allow me to give you a couple words of advice that could go a long way. And this advice can be applied even when budgets become available.

Redesign Consideration #1: Google Rules
Not "rules" as in "rocks". But "rules" as in dominates. Google is the extraordinarily gorgeous cheerleader or football squad captain (to use heinously outdated stereotypes to make a point) who also happen to be class valedictorians. You can hate them but face it -- the world revolves around them. Pity if you think you can go on a date with them in your present state. You've got two options: be financially loaded or hit the gym.

Google likes two things. First, Google wants your content to be accurate, relevant and current. They measure your relevancy by the number of other relevant sites out there linking to you. Google cares if you're smart and popular. But, in an act of benevolence, Google loves your money too. (That's the second thing.) If you're not willing or able to focus on your content, then you're going to have to pony up through their Google AdWords program.

Redesign Consideration #2: Substance Over Form
I'll take a few arrows for this one, but form is over on the web. That's not to say that sites shouldn't be visually appealing. But too often we see sites redesigned over the same old content. No matter how good or bad you thought the old site looked, it's almost certain that it was your content that didn't give you the results you wanted the first time around. How often do you do a web search, visit a site, and say "Yowch! This looks awful" and then proceed to find exactly what you were looking for on that web site. My point: People will overlook form for substance.

Imagine putting both substance and wonderfully usable form together into a single, informative, and pleasurable experience for your site visitor. Now that's a site redesign strategy!

If you feel as though your web redesign team is obsessing about whether the new site design mockup to "too blue" think again about your content because at the end of the day, that's all that really matters.

Until next month,

Andrew Eklund
CEO